The Bad Seed
by Jack-n-Sally
Summary: A parody of the movie and novel - The Bad Seed. Lila's sweet. Lila's nine. Lila's also a murderer. Takes place in the 40's.
1. Student of the Year

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The Bad Seed  
  
Written by Juliana VandenBroeke  
  
Based on the novel by William March  
  
Disclaimer Okay everyone, yes, I get bored easily, but honestly and truthfully, I really don't want any flames. When I first read the book and saw the movie, me and my sister noticed she looked and acted like Lila, except for the fast that Lila doesn't commit murders o.O;; I joked around, saying I was going too make it a fanfic, but eventually I did. So please, to keep the peace, if you do not like my fanfic, then please do not read it. Simple as that.   
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Chapter One -  
  
**_L_**ila Sawyer awoke to the sun streaming onto her bed sheets. She smiled to herself as she threw her feet over her bed and slipped on her slippers. It was nearly 8:00 a.m and it was a Saturday, which could only mean a school picnic on the riverfront near the bay, in celebration of the coming of summer and the ending of the school year.   
  
She was most excited because she was looking foward to the Best Student of the Year Award that her teacher, Mrs. Slovak gave away every year. She was alsmost certain she was going to win that award, since it meant everthing to her and she had been trying her hardest to earn that. Although she and the rest of the class knew she was competing against her classmate, Phoebe Hyerdahl, her hopes were still very high.  
  
Lila climbed out of bed an rubbed her eyes, as she walked towards her closet to pick out her new dress her mother had gotten her recently. She slipped it on and then sat at her 'vanity' table to brush her hair and fix it into two plaits with little green ribbons at the end. She heard a light knocking at the door and turned around to see her mother.   
  
"Hello Darling. I'm glad you're up. Do you have time to say good bye to your mother?" she asked softly. Lila's smile brightened.  
  
"Oh of course mommy. I'll be down in a few minutes, okay?" Lila inquired as she tightened the ribbon at the bottom of a long aburn braid.   
  
Her mother smiled and nodded as she made her way back downstairs. Her mother, Evelyn, was a college and high school graduate, but she never had the money to go back and finish her years at a university. Now that she was married and had money, she was leaving for the summer semester at Colidair University in Michigan, across the country from where they lived.   
  
Lila skipped downstairs and saw her mother, father, and their landlord, Miss Vitello, who Lila often called Auntie. (hey, i was desperate...) Who was also there to say good-bye to Evelyn. Mrs. Vitello was a 'jolly' lady that owned the exquisite apartment. She retired from her job at the towns flower shop so she could be at home more and take time off. She was also very fond of Lila, and would often bring her small but practical gifts such as mittens, ribbons for her hair or other small things that were useful.   
  
Lila ran to her mother and smiled widely.  
  
"Momma, what would you give me for a basket of kisses??" Lila cooed.  
  
"Oh...I'll give you a basket of hugs!!!" her mother smiled and held out her arms for her and they embraced a goodbye tightly near tears.   
  
"Oh mommy I'm going to miss you just ever-so much! You have to promise to write to me everyday!!" Lila said to her, but it was more of a order. Miss Vitello awwed.  
  
"Honey, I promise to write to you as often as I possibly can!!" her mother promised as she squeezed her hand, then walked towards upstairs to gather her suitcases.  
  
"Honey, I've got a new special present just especially for you!" Miss Vitello called to brighten the mood.   
  
"A present?? What is it, Auntie?" Lila asked excitedly. Her father frowned.  
  
"Lila, now you know how to behave," he reminded her with a small grin on his face. Before anyone could reply, there was a loud honk coming from the front of the house. He glanced out the window.  
  
"Honey! The taxi is here to take you to the airport!!" her father called upsairs nervously. Evelyn hurried downstairs with two suitcases. She gave Lila one last sincere good-bye and hurried out the door, with Lila's father following close behind. Lila frowned as she looked out the door, but just as soon as it came, it left with a bright smile as she turned toward Miss Vitello.  
  
"What have you got for me this time?" Lila asked sweetly as she walked towards her.   
  
"Let's see if you can guess," Miss Vitello said as she reached into her purse. Lila put her hand on her chin as if in deep thought, then smiled and shrugged.  
  
"I don't _know_ Auntie. What is it? Tell me!" Lila said, obviously impatient but trying not to show it. Miss Vitello laughed and pulled out a leather pouch, and in them were a pair of pink sun glasses framed in rhinestones. Lila gasped in amazement.   
  
"Oh _Auntie!!!"_ Lila walked towards a mirror that was hangin in the living room and put them on. Miss Vitello smiled, and at that moment, Lila's father walked into the room from the front door. Lila spun around.  
  
"Hello Daddy! Aren't they _beatiful_??" Lila smiled brightly and posed for her father.  
  
Her father frowned, but his expression softened into a smile.  
  
"Miss Vitello, what have you given her now??" Her father laughed as he sat on the couch and opened the daily newspaper.   
  
"Just a little gift. I know how heart broken she is now that her mother left, so I just couldn't help myself! Now I have another small gift that I reveiced when I was nine, just your age!" Lila's eye's widened as Miss Vitello pulled out a long golden chain with a heart on it. In the center of the heart was a sapphire diamond.   
  
"I'll have to get the gem changed to an emerald, since that's your birthstone," Miss Vitello said with a smile.Lila beamed.  
  
"Oh thank you Auntie! _Dear sweet_ Auntie!" Lila ran and gave her a hug. Lila's father stood up and checked his watch.   
  
"Well Clara, [_miss vitello_] I hate to break this, but I suppose it's time to take Lila down to the school for the picnic" her father said. Lila gave a perfect courtsey to Miss Vitello and waved her a goodbye as she walked closely behind her father to the front door.  
  
"Thank you for everything, Clare! I really apprecaite it." he called. 

**_L_**ila sat cross-legged on the green grass in between her two best friends Rhonda and Sheena. Lila was speaking rapidly about how excited she was and how high her hopes were about the medal.  
  
"Of course. Everyone who's anyone knows for a fact that you'll get the award. You're the nicest, most funnyist, prettyist best student and next to me, you're the best dresser in school. There's no reason why you shouldn't, right?" Rhonda explained. Sheena nodded in agreement, and Lila beamed. The small grouped shushed and her classmates and the rest of the school around her clapped as Miss Slovak and the principal, Mr. Wartz, walked to the front of the students with a small microphone.  
  
"Fisrtly, I know just how excited you all are for the beginning of the summer..." Mr. Wartz began. Lila waited in longing and anticipation until she saw Miss Slovak hand Principal Wartz the medal she had wanted for all year.  
  
"Now, for the fourth grade Student of the Year award. This student has shown cooperation, participation, teamwork, and ability to show their best work with outstanding marks. I am proud to anounce that the fourth grade Student of the Year award goes to...Miss Phoebe Hyerdahl!" Principal Watz announced proudly.   
  
Lila's face flushed into a bright red, some from embaressment, but mostly for her furiousness. (that a word?) Lila glared at Phoebe as she walked in front of the students to retreive the award. If looks could kill, Phoebe would be long gone.   
  
"Oh it's okay Lila! She's just a brainy nerd and only got it because of that!" Rhonda started quickly. Sheena quickly agreed with her. Lila shrugged, as if it were not big deal.  
  
"Well, I didn't want it that bad, really," Lila gave them a fake smile. She said it, but she didn't mean it, not one little bit. _SHE_ was the one that really wanted it!! Phoebe had all the spelling-b trophy's and the honor and T.A.G student awards!! Her shelves were covered with them, so why did she need this one so bad?? It was at that moment that Helga, whom was sitting in front of her, turned around and snorted.  
  
"Looks like your luck ran out, Miss Perfect," Helga gave her a smile that made Lila want break out into an angry rage as her face turned red. Helga turned around and cheered on her best friend before Lila could say anything.  
  
Principal Wartz gave out the final awards and dismissed the students to carry on with their feild games. Lila stood by herself near a tree. She saw Phoebe chatting rapidly with her classmates Arnold, Gerald, and Helga. Lila scowled. Then Phoebe started walking away, toward the dock by the river, by herself.   
  
Lila's heart began to beat furiously as she walked casually towards to dock, following Phoebe in clenched fists.

**O_kay everyone! please tell me what you think, but I don't want any flames! Tell me if it sounds interesting or not!_**


	2. Accusations and Assumptions

Yay! Eveyone thank you soooo much for those reviews!! Please read this chapter and tell me what you think   
  
Darthroden: thanks alot! this is a parody of the black and white version. there's another one?? I didn't know that...  
  
Everyone here's a picture I made and colored on my computer of the 'cover'!!! It took me so long! enjoy ((copy paste)) h t t p : w w w . a n g e l f i r e . c o m / m o o n / p i t a k i / b a d s e e d . J P G (with not spaces, and add an underscore between 'bad' 'seed' if you're having problems, e-mail me, because i worked really hard on that picure  
  
_**L**_ila's father and his guests, ((Clara and the other aparment residents people) were eating a fancy brunch and simply chatting away about weather, politics, and etc. They finished eating and decided then to sit comfortably in the couches, loveseats, and chairs. Lila's father, Paul, excused himself to get himself another drink.  
  
It was at that moment that one of the guests, Mr. Sheffield, reached up and tuned the radio on to a weather channel.   
  
"Tommorrow expect an overcast with maybe a 50-50 percent chance of rain. The highs for tommorrow are...what?...oh..i see...excuse me...oh, how _terrible_...oh..." Paul and his guests looked up, surprised and curious about the interuption of it. The news reporter came back on the air.   
  
"Ladies and gentleman, it discourages me to interrupt this weather report to announce there was to be a school picnic down by the riverfront park, and there was a fatal accident. One of the students has drowned in the river, but the name cannot be revealed until the parents are first notified..." he finished.  
  
Paul's face went white as his glass fell to ground, causing a loud shatter. Clara ran over to him. She knew what he was thinking.  
  
"It was _most certainly _not Lila! Lila is too smart to go anywhere near the river without an adults supervision, let alone get herself killed!" Clara said quickly. Paul wanted to believe it, but there was still some doubt that lingered in his mind.  
  
"Oh dear..." he started, nervously wringing his napkin. The news reporter spoke again.  
  
"The drowning concerning the P.S 118 Elementary school has been revealed. Phoebe Hyerdahl was drowned in the river at approxemetly..." he continued.  
  
Paul sighed with relief. "That poor child, how her parents must feel..." he said aloud, then he realized that the students would probably be sent home a.s.a.p. He didn't know what to say to her when she arrived, and she was probably scared to death about the fatal event.   
  
"But..I don't know what to say to her! She hasn't experienced any death in the family, nor have I until I was much much older..." Paul started.  
  
"I'm sorry Paul, but that's something you're going to have to do on your own," Clara said. Paul nodded in agreement. He glanced out the window, and saw a white bus stop in front of the building with a thick navy blue pinstripe running across it, and text on it reading "Hillwood Elementrary Schools."   
  
Seconds later, Lila walked into the room. Paul rushed to her.  
  
"Honey, are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah daddy, I'm alright. Phoebe Hyerdahl drowned, so we had to go home early and didn't get a chance to eat lunch. Most of the students were crying though." Lila explained. Paul leaned over to hug his daughter.  
  
"Honey, I'm sorry that happened. I just feel bad for her parents," Paul said.  
  
"Yes, me too. Me and Phoebe were always the _best_ of friends and we always did everything together. It's a shame lunch was cancelled...So can I have a peanut butter sandwich?" Lila asked quickly, as if what had happened at the school picnic was nothing more then another classmate scraping a knee.  
  
Her father was taken by surprise at how well she was taking this, or the fact that she didn't care. But it must have pained her horribly, he thought. After all, she was a very sensitive girl and she had just said that she was very good friends with the girl who died.   
  
Paul led her to the couch and they both sat, his hands clutching hers.  
  
"Lila, honey, did you...see Phoebe? I mean before she died?" Paul asked.  
  
"Well...they pulled her from the water and then they put her on the lawn and worked and worked to get her breathing again, but nothing worked. She was all blue, then they put her on the stretcher and pulled a blanket over her entire body." Lila said casually. Her father frowned.  
  
"Well honey, I want you to get all of these horrible images RIGHT OUT of your mind and I don't want you to worry, or be frightened one little bit!" Paul said in a worried tone.  
  
"But daddy! I wasn't frightened at all! In fact, I think it was rather exciting!" Lila said with an awkward smile, which kinda freaked Paul out. Well, he thought. I guess it's better then her being frightened or possibly traumatized like some other children must have been...  
  
"Daddy? May I have a peanut butter sandwich and some cookies now?" Lila asked again. He nodded, then walked to the kitchen to make her an early-lunch. He came back minutes later with a small plate with a sandwich on it and small cookies with a tall glass of milk. Lila picked up the glass of milk and drunk nearly half of it in one gulp.  
  
"Daddy? Can I go outside? I'd like to eat my sandwich and rollar-skate out side. It's such a lovely day!" Lila exclaimed as she bit into her sandwich.   
  
"Yes, I suppose," Lila's father said, glad that she was taking her mind off things. Lila left her meal on the coffee table and skipped up to her room to retreive her rollar blades. It was at that moment that the housekeeper, whom everyone refered to as 'Ceaser' stopped in the door frame of her room, carrying a pitchfork. He was a weird man in his middle ages and had a slight stutter in his voice. It also seemed that one of his eyes was crooked. He always kept to himself though.   
  
"We didn't _HAVE_ school picnics when I was a boy..." he grumbled. Lila stalked out of the room with her nose in the air.  
  
"I don't care what you had or didn't have," she snapped. Ceaser scowled at her in disgust as he watched her skip downstairs again with her rollar skates in her hand.   
  
Lila quickly finished her cookies and milk, then tied on her rollor blades and scooped up her half eaten sandwich, then carefully made her way outside, down her front stoop from the apartments and onto the sidewalk. Ceaser was trimming the roses. He frowned.  
  
"How can you go out skating when your little classmate has done been drowned?? Seems to me you'd be crying your little eyes out! Either that or burning a candle down at the church!!" Ceaser said in his naturally eerie and quick voice. Lila again turned up her nose.  
  
"It's none of _my_ affair. It was Phoebe Hyerdahl that drowned, not me," Lila said in her snobbyist voice before she stood up and started rollarblading down the street.  
  
"I've seen mean girls in all my life, but that girl is the meanest one yet," Ceaser grumbled to himself. "That snot-nose thinks she's got everyone fooled, because she fools everyone with that sweet smile..."  
  
Ceaser snorted and wiped his nose with his gloved wrist. Then an eerie smile came onto his face. "That little Miss Lila is a smart one, almost as smart as me. She'd better watch her step...or it's the funny farm for her..."   
  
It was near 2:30 and the front doorbell rang and Paul stood up to answer it. It was Miss Slovak.   
  
"Yes?" Paul asked.  
  
"May I come in? I need to discuss some serious matters," Miss Slovak insisted. Paul was taken by surprise and confusion, but let her in nontheless. He offered her a seat as he sat down.  
  
"Mr. Sawyer, as you may have heard, there was a school drowning today during the school picnic," she started. Paul nodded.  
  
"Yes, I know that. Poor child..." he said.  
  
"Well I don't know what the child was doing by the dock, since it was off limits to all students. I understand that Phoebe Hyerdahl's body was found behind the supply shed in the water. Meaning that if she was playing there for some reason or another, a lifeguard would not been able too see her. He only saw one child walk towards-" she was cut off when Lila entered the room with a book in her hand.  
  
"_Hello_ daddy. _Hel-lo_ Miss Slovak," Lila gave her a courtsey. Lila gave her a fake greeting, so Miss Slovak gave her a fake smile.  
  
"May I go outside on the gazebo and read my book?" Lila asked sweetly. Paul nodded, then Lila walked out of the room towards the front door.   
  
"Anyway, what I was saying, was that the only girl that was seen on the dock was a girl in pigtails and a dress," Miss Slovak ended. Paul knew what she was implying.   
  
"Well surely it must have been another student..." he started.  
  
"Nonsense. Lila was the only one wearing a dress that day. The lifeguard told me he saw her running towards there, but he dissmissed it when she left towards the students," Miss Slovak stated. Paul's jaw dropped.  
  
"Miss Slovak! If you're implying that my only daughter Lila had something to do with the drowning of the other student then you're _absolutly_ _mad_!" Paul fumed. Miss Slovak showed a face of surprise.  
  
"_Why certainly not_! I am not implying anything! I just thought maybe Lila might have seen something that might give us more clues," Miss Slovak reasoned. Paul calmed down.  
  
"Clues? For what?" he asked. Miss Slovak hesitated.  
  
"Well...when we found the student's body..there...were bruises on her wrists and on her head. Also, the badge wasn't with her either, which if kind of hard to believe since I witnessed her mother pinned it on her sweater." Miss Slovak said. "I realize she's out right now, but please. Give me a call when she gets back."  
  
"When Lila gets back, I suppose I could ask her..." Paul said. Miss Slovak thanked him and left without another word. As if by cue, Miss Vitello enetered the room. She had on a fancy coat, hat, and was wearing gloves.  
  
"Hello Paul. I'm going to town right now, and thought while I'm out, I might as well get the gem changed ," Miss Vitello offered.   
  
"Oh! Yes, of course. She keeps her valuable things in her jewelry box," he said, then made his way upstairs then to her room. He opened her jewelry box and searched for the necklace.   
  
He found it in the first drawer. As he reached to close the jewelry box, he noticed some of the lining was disturbed. He lifted it up and discovered a small gold medalion with a red white and blue ribbon. The medallion read "Student of the Year."   
  
Paul froze in shock. It felt as if a sharp pang of terror had just hit him. He didn't know how long he stood there, staring at the gold medal before he realized that Miss vitello was waiting downstairs. He carefully tucked the medal in his pocket then walked downstairs, still shaken, to give the necklace to Miss Vitello.   
  
After she left, Paul stormed up towards his room, then he heard the front door open.   
  
"Daddy, I'm back!" he heard his daughter call. Paul yelled for Lila to see him upstairs.  
  
"What is it daddy?" Lila asked innocently. Paul frowned. He held up the award, and Lila's face became frightened.  
  
"What is this doing in the lining of your jewelry box??" he demanded. Lila frowned.  
  
"I didn't want to tell you or Miss Slovak because I knew she'd think bad things about me!" she said, her voice cracking as if about to cry.  
  
"What is this doing in your room?" he repeated. Lila's shoulders slumped as she sat down on her bed.   
  
"The award was _mine_, daddy! Ever-so-mine! It really was! But I didn't do the horrible things you're thinking that I did!" Lila said, her hot tears streaming down her cheeks.   
  
_"Then what is this doing in your room?!"_ Paul thundered, loosing all patience as he slammed the medal on her small vanity table.   
  
"Phoebe knew how much I wanted that award! The whole class knew! I asked her if I could wear it just for an hour to pretend that I won it myself!" Lila started. She wiped her pathetic face with the back of her hand as she continued. "Phoebe let me wear it, but when the hour was up, she wanted it back! I asked her for me to wear it for just ten more minutes, but she wouldn't let me!! Then she started chasing me and then the whole class joined in and we all started playing tag! But that's the last time I saw her!" Lila finished, still crying.   
  
Paul wanted to believe her, but he still had a little bit of doubt. He hurried to the telephone.  
  
"So you lied to Miss Slovak then! I'm calling her this instant!" Paul walked quickly down the stairs, Lila following closely behind him.  
  
"But not to you, daddy! _Not to you_!!" Lila's eyes again watered and she began to whine. Paul picked up the telephone anyway, ignoring Lila's desperate pleas. The telephone rang and rang, but no one answered the telephone. Paul hung up.  
  
"Honey, I hope you know what we're dealing with. I spoke with Phoebe's mother today. She was very sad," Paul said to Lila.   
  
"I know daddy. I'm just frightened too, and I do feel sort of bad for Mrs. Hyerdahl. I mean...if she want's a little girl that bad, why doesn't she just adopt a little girl?" Lila said with a small smirk. Paul pulled away from his daughter.   
  
"Lila!! What a horrible thing to say!! Don't speak with me! We have nothing to say to each other!!" Paul told her sharply before he stormed out the room more confused then ever. Lila casualy shrugged, then walked upstairs to her bed, where she took off her shoes that had a thin peice of metal on the bottom of them to make them last longer. She carefully placed them under her bed while she ran her finger across the gold medal that should have been hers.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!! how;d you like this chapter??! 


	3. People that tell lies don't go to Heaven

**_L_**ila sat, quite pleased with herself later that afternoon on the back porch, reading one of her chapter books. Ceaser was nearby, trimming the lawn, then glanced around to be sure no one was around to see.  
  
"You've done it! I know it too!" Ceaser started. Lila didn't so much as look up from her book. "You drowned that poor sweet little Hyerdahl girl because she went and done won that award that you've been wantin' for yourself. You hit her then left her body in the water to drown! Then you plucked the award away from her too!" Ceaser accused. Lila looked up and placed a peice of paper inside her book.  
  
"You're a silly man. Lies. That's what you're telling. All Lies. People that tell lies don't go to heaven; did you know?" Lila said casually, her eyes full of accusation.   
  
"And people that drown innocent little girls aren't going to get a one-way ticket to Heaven either!" Ceaser snapped right back.  
  
"What do you know?" Lila glared at him. Ceaser laughed.   
  
"It's called a blood-stick-hound. They sprinkle some blue powder on a stick and the blood turns a neon color! You can scrub and scrub and scrub that blood all night if you wanted too! But there will always be just a little bit of blood left over...just for the policemen to find!" Ceaser smirked.   
  
"You're a fool. There's no such thing as a stick blood hound. I know someone who isn't going to go to Heaven. And besides. Even if I did do it, which I certainatly did not, I'm a minor. They can't do anything to me. So there," Lila said with a smug look on her face. Ceaser grinned.  
  
"They'll put you in a chair. It'll go ZZZZZZAP! There's a pink chair for little girls, and a blue chair for little boys." Ceaser explained with a pleased look on his face. Lila rolled her eyes, not one bit intimidated.  
  
"There's not any color chair anymore then there is a bloodstickhound," Lila finished. Ceaser glared at her.  
  
"Fine. Believe what you want and do what you think is right. But you ain't got me fooled. I'm ain't no dope like all them other folks who think you're some rosy little cherub," Ceaser scowled as Lila gave another one of her smug looks.   
  
Lila gave him a "That's-Better" smirk and continued with her book. They both glared at each other and thought something along the lines of "Annoying little Prick."  
  
_**P**_aul was stressed, being both concerned and worried for his only daughter and quite suspicious over something he couldn't point out, and was too scared too wrongly accuse her of anything, for that matter too. Miss Vitello seemed to notice the fatigue and stress on Paul. She offered him some sleeping pills she had and he accepted.   
  
In the middle of their conversation, Lila entered the house and quickly walked upstairs. Seconds later, she was walking quickly down the stairs carrying a brown lunch sack with a nervous look on her face, then left quickly into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. Paul raised his eyebrows. He said goodbye to Miss Vitello.  
  
"Thank you alot Clara. Let me put these in the kitchen," Paul said as he walked through the living room and into the kitchen. He heard the crinkling of a paper bag through the door and hesitated. Wanting to catch her in the act of doing whatever she was doing, he was silent for a moment, then burst opened the door.  
  
Lila froze and she was holding a crinkled paper lunch sack in her hand. She was standing in front of the incinerater. She wore a look of defeat and panic as she froze before her father. Paul widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows in shock.  
  
"Lila, what's in the bag," Paul forced himself to say after a few seconds, remaining calm. Lila started towards toward the back door.   
  
"Nothing, father, me and Rhonda were going to eat a snack down the street at the park," Lila said, obviously looking for words.  
  
"What's in the bag?" Paul repeated. Lila didn't say anything, nor did Paul. Suddenly, Paul grabbed for the bag and Lila held on tightly, refusing to let go. She screamed in anger and struggle a couple of times. Paul gave a hard yank and the bag went flying across the kitchen. It wasn't a bag. It was a pair of her shoes with the metal lining on them that fell out of the rolled paper.   
  
"You were going to burn these in the insinerator, weren't you?" Paul asked nervously, slowly picking up one of the shoes. Lila backed up against a wall.  
  
"But Daddy!" Lila started. Paul shook his head in disbelief. He knew everything, as if he were putting together a puzzle that a child could do.   
  
"You did it, didn't you? My daughters a kil-...you beat her on the head with your shoes? Didn't you?" Paul continued in a shaky voice, not wanting to believe a word of it. Lila opened her mouth to protest. "That's why she had the moon-shaped bruises on her forehead! Didn't you?? _Answer me Lila!"_ Paul pratically screamed. Lila burst into tears and ran to embrace her father.  
  
"Oh daddy!! Nobody helps me!!" Lila cried. Furiously, Paul pushed his daughter away, disgusted by her act she was pulling at the moment. He pulled her by the arm into the living room. Lila sat on one of the sofas.  
  
"Now Lila, tell me everything from the start! And I don't want any crying, because I'm the one that should be doing all the crying!! There's no sense in lying, since I know that child is dead because of you" Paul fumed. Lila held her head down, her shoulder slumped and her hands on her lap.  
  
"It was all her fault!" Lila cried in rage. "I wanted that award!! But Little Miss Perfect _had_ to get it!! She had all those trophies and awards at home so why couldn't she let me have it just this once?!" She demanded, yelling more to herself and staring straight ahead. "I wanted the award and the award was mine!! So I hit her! She kept yelling and crying, telling me to stop, but I hit her anway! I would have let her go...but she told me she was going to tell the teacher! So I hit her!! I was scared daddy, and it was a bad thing, but she made me do it, she did!!" Lila screamed. "I kept hitting her, then she fell into the water!! I was going to save her, but she wouldn't stop screaming and somone might have heard her and come looking!!!! _So I took off my shoes and began hitting her on the head_!!" Lila finished, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Paul was stunned. Too stunned to speak. It was true he loved his daughter. He knew he should have called Miss Fern or the police _now_, even the first moment he had the slightest hint of suspiscion, but he couldn't get himself too.   
  
Lila started crying, but this time they were tears of fear, as she remembered what Ceaser had said. She spun towards her father.   
  
"They won't put me in that chair, would they?!?!" Lila came closer to her father and started trembling. "It was all her fault too!"   
  
Paul paced the room in panic, then suddenly turned to his daughter.  
  
"No, Lila, I promise, nothing bad is going to happen to you. Now go to your room and read. I have to think," Paul started. Lila sighed with relief and began to walk out of the room as if a murder hadn't just taken place. The father thought quickly to himself.  
  
"Wait, Lila..." he said, turning to her. "I want you to throw those shoes in the insinerator and never speak of this again. And Lila, I want you to never _ever_ breath a word of what you have done," Paul warned. Lila simply nodded. She picked up the shoes and through them into the firey pit of the insinerator so casually, it frightened Paul.   
  
Lila smiled smugly to herself as she skipped out of the kitchen to her bedroom to retrieve her rollar blades, humming the tune of Moonlight Bay, leaving her father standing in the same position, with an awkward look on his face.  
  
**A/n: I hope you all liked this chapter!! Only a few more left!! Please review peeps!! Let me know what you think!! And again, thanks to all those that have reviewed!  
  
p.s some of you might know my site, another hey arnold site is on haitus. I don't know what to do, since I can't get my password, and I've tried anything. Argh! I hate to do this, but I am looking for a new host to start my Hey Arnold! site over, once again. If you know of any really good hosts, please e-mail me. thanks**. 


	4. JackStraws

"_No reason, except she's my favorite daughter in the world. - Mommy_" Paul read on a small card as Lila ripped off the expensive looking wrapping paper from a large box that had just recently arrived. Lila opened the box and grabbed at the excelsior that surrounded the china tea set, leaving it on the table.  
  
"Oh!! It's gorgous!! Just ever so beautiful!!" Lila smiled brightly as she took out one of the small teacups from the box and examined it. Paul smiled at her happiness.  
  
"Oh, honey, make sure you throw this excelsior in the furnace," Paul told her as Lila picked up the large box under her arm with her other arm supporting it and walked towards the back door.  
  
"Okay Daddy. May I go outside? I'd like to pretend I'm hosting a garden party," Lila smiled. Paul nodded, and Lila made her way to the back porch. Still standing, Lila set up the tea set on the small white whicker table, then sat down on another whicker chair.   
  
Ceaser poked his head over the bushes he was trimming and scowled when he saw Lila. Not meaning for Lila to hear, Ceaser smirked and muttered something along the lines of "I know what you've done, and soon everyone else is too." Lila turned up her nose.  
  
"You're such a silly man," she snapped. "Don't you threaten me again, or I'll get my papa," Lila narrowed her eyes. Ceaser rolled his eyes.  
  
"You're stupider then I thought. If you do that, then I'll get the police and tell them what you've done!" Ceaser finished, teasing her tiny mind, although he didn't mean a word of it. A quick look of panic flashed in Lila's eyes, then quickly left. She glared at him.  
  
"You don't know diddly squat," was all Lila could say.  
  
"On, but I _do_. You hit that little girl with a stick. It broke, then you decided to hit her with your little Mary-Janes with the metal plates on them," Ceaser BSed, watching her squirm in her seat  
and enjoying it.  
  
"I don't have any shoes with metal plates on them," Lila lied.  
  
"Of course you don't, because I heard them clattering down the insinerator. You intended on burning them because you were afraid the cops might get to them and see the blood on them!! They may be scorched but there's _pleeeenty_ of blood left on them!! Well, you can't have them back now, even if you wanted too!! Because I've got them little shoes! And you'd better be treating me pretty if you don't want the cops to find out!!" Ceaser finished, and laughed loudly to himself. He was enjoying this. Lila gave him a blank look.  
  
"Give me back my shoes please," Lila said patiently, keeping her eyes on her tea set. Ceaser laughed in reply, which meant a no.  
  
"I want my shoes back. They belong to me," Lila stood up and lowered both her eyebrows, beginning to lose patience. This humoured Ceaser.  
  
"Oh _noooo_! I've got those shoes, and ain't no one gonna take them away from me!" Ceaser laughed and pointed at her. Lila started towards him, and almost yelled.  
  
"You give me back those shoes! They belong to me! You give them back!" Lila started. Ceaser backed up and continued to laugh like a mad man.  
  
"Give me back my shoes!! I'm _warning_ you," Lila yelled in his face, starting to tug on his sleeve. Ceaser laughed even harder, but something in Lila's determined and serious eyes made his crazy laughter die away. His face turned into an expression of fear. He covered his mouth in shock.  
  
"I know you did it! I was only playin witcha yesterday and before, but now I know it!! You beat that Hyerdahl girl on the head with a stick! Then it broke, so you pounded on her head with your shoes!!" Ceaser's eyes widened in shock. Too frightened and not wanting anything else to do with the girl, he quickly turned, intending to leave.   
  
_"Give them back to me!!"_ Lila screeched. Just then, the back door opened. They both froze. Lila's father appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Lila? Ceaser? What's going on? I heard you yelling to him 'give them back to me'!" Paul put his hands on his hips and frowned. Ceaser quickly turned and left Paul and Lila. Ceaser heard Paul scolding his daughter, then he walked towards the basement. It was his room, and he often slept in there, but it was also close to the incinerator.   
  
Ceaser looked around to be sure no one was looking, then quickly unlocked the small incinerator door and opened it. He saw the black Mary Janes stacked on top of each other, burning, but only scorched. He quickly closed it, and decided he'd ignore the child if she ever spoke to him. He didn't want anything to do with her. She was dangerous.  
  
Meanwhile, Lila sat inside the small but fancy living room with a picture book in front of her. Lila closed the book, then looked up in thought. She then heard the Jolly Olly man near her house.  
  
"Daddy?" she called to the kitchen. "May I have money for ice cream?" Lila asked.  
  
"What? Oh, yes. There's some change on the coffee table," Paul answered. Lila took 35 cents from the small pile of change. She stopped, thought for a second, then grabbed a small handful of matches from the glass container that was sitting on top of the firesill as she glanced out a window and saw Rhonda down the street.  
  
"Lila?" Paul frowned in suspiscion as he glanced from the kitchen.  
  
"I wanted to play Jack-Straws with Rhonda. She's outside right now," Lila said quickly. Paul didn't like it, but let her outside anyway.  
  
Paul watched her from the window out of curiosity. He saw her pay the Jolly Olly man and then run to the other end of the lawn, towards the basement door. He couldn't see her because of all the bushes that were surrounding the basement door. She remained behind the bushes for about a minute, then she skipped off to Rhonda on the other side of the lawn. Paul shrugged.  
  
"Isn't that where the servant lives?" Rhonda asked, nodding towards the basement door and pronouncing servent as if it were a curse word.  
  
"He's not really a servant, but a house keeper. He's _very_ friendly too," Lila told her. Rhonda gasped as she saw a small trail of smoke coming from the basement door. Lila turned around to see. The small string of smoke became larger and larger, until the basement door and it's surroundings were covered in smoke. Rhonda screamed. Lila heard Ceaser yelling something as she widened her eyes in false shock.  
  
Hearing Rhonda's screams, several of the apartment members rushed out to see what was the matter. They quickly noticed the smoke coming from the basement and it's locked door. Some men grabbed the shovels and pitchfork that Ceaser had left outside and began their attempts of breaking the lock. Finally, the two wooden doors burst open and Ceaser came running out, his body in flames as he attempted to smother the fire with his body.   
  
Rhonda screamed and burst into tears. Lila quickly told her she had to go inside, then ran up the stoop and through the door. Paul was sitting near the window, looking very concerned.  
  
"Lila, what's going on?" Paul asked nervously.  
  
"I wouldn't know," Lila said simply, as if what was going on outside was nothing more then their neighbor showing off a new pet.  
  
She caught her breath, then walked casually to the piano room. She sat on the expensive black piano bench and began the finger her favorite peice she had been working on. Moonlight Bay. Her father had to talk with her about what had just happened. He knocked on the door. It was locked, but Lila ignored it and continued playing her song, her fingers moving faster and faster.   
  
Paul took a deep breath, then he glanced out the window. He realized what had happened, and he had seen everything. He knew he shouldn't have let her have those matches or go outside, but he did and only shrugged it off as it all appeared right before his eyes. Paul began shaking and he yelled out of the window for people to stop their yelling. It was only making things worse.   
  
Miss Vitello rushed into the room to comfort Paul.   
  
"Tell them to stop screaming and yelling and causing a commotion because none of it's going to help!! I should have seen this coming but I let her anyway!! I can't stand the noise and I can't stand any of this!! _That man is dying and she's playing on the piano!!"_ Paul screamed the last sentence, tettering on the edge of insanity. He had let this happen.   
  
"Paul? What on earth are you talking about?? What have you let her done?" Miss Vitello asked, overcome with confusion and impatience.  
  
First the Hyerdahl girl, now Ceaser....and oh, poor Miss Marquet....he suddenly remembered. Without being able to control himself, he jumped up and ran to the door Lila was behind. He began pounding on the door with his fists, demanding her to come out. Miss Vitello ran to hold him back and get him under control. Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly and the door opened. Lila came out and Miss Vitello ran to embrace her.   
  
"What has she done??" Miss Vitello asked Paul. Paul nodded.  
  
"It's not what she's done...it's what I've done." Paul told her, still shook up over the past events and not quite sane. Miss Vitello assumed he was just tired, and offered to take Lila to her apartment so he can have some time to rest. Paul nodded in agreement. Just as they were almost through the door, Paul told her Lila will be up there shortly. He needed to speak with her. Miss Vitello nodded and walked though the door.   
  
"Lila...did you-" Paul started, but he couldn't get himself to say the rest. Lila rushed up to her father and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"He told me he'd tell everyone what I did," Lila said simply. Paul froze.   
  
"Lila...remember when we were living in Austin, and that lady, Miss Marquet, from upstairs came to babysit you often?" Paul started as Lila nodded. "She slipped down the stairs...right?" Paul looked up at her. Lila stood up and reached for a cookie on the coffee table.  
  
"No daddy. I was standing behind her and I slipped on an ice cube, and pushed her down," Lila said in a voice Paul didn't recognize. She walked towards the door.  
  
"Honey, please go up with Miss Vitello," Paul said in a voice he didn't recognize, either.   
  
**_Whaddya think?!?!!? Reviews are greatly needed!! One chapter left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please review!! And thank you sooo much to all those reviews I've gotten so far_**


	5. The Beginning

_Paul_ sat in deep thought about his mentally disturbed daughter, staring straight ahead. All of this had been going on right before his eyes. He had sensed and suspected it, but he had refused to permit himself to believe the horrible truth. Lila's actions had gone too far for Paul to prevent or help it. He couldn't close the door or look the other way, and the truth was, he was as much part of it as Lila had been because he didn't bother to stop it, and for that, Paul was feeling great guilt. He wanted Eveyln there so she could know the truth, every detail, and he was tempted to write to her and tell her everything. But what would he write? _EVELYN STOP YOUR DAUGHTER IS A KILLER STOP PAUL STOP. _It even sounded ridicilous in his head, even if he had taken time to write a full-out two page letter. No, Paul had began this chaos, so he had to finish it. No one would know about Lila's actions except him and Lila. He could deal with it himself.   
  
It was at that moment that he had just realized that Lila had been trying to get his attention.   
  
"Oh! Sorry honey, I was just thinking," Paul shook his head and looked back down at the book he was reading to Lila. He continued reading as Lila snuggled up beneath her thick blankets and rested her head against one of the many large pillows. She looked lost in the massive bed.  
  
"I'm going to close my eyes now, but I won't be alseep," Lila told him, Paul nodded.  
  
" '_The next day, dressed in the skin, the wolf strolled into the pasture with the Sheep. Soon a little Lamb was following him about and was quickly let away to slaughter. That evening the Wolf entered the fold with the flock...._' " Paul suddenly stopped reading and looked up at Lila. "Lila, have you taken your vitamins?" Lila opened her eyes. "No, daddy you haven't given them to me yet," she said.   
  
Paul, surprised at himself for forgetting, got up and went to his bathroom cabinet to retrieve her pills. They weren't vitamins. They were sleeping pills. Paul returned to the room and gave her the pills. Lila placed them in the center of her palm and put one in her mouth, swallowing a glass of apricot juice with it.   
  
"I love apricot juice daddy. It's so sweet and you don't need ice to go with it either," Lila swallowed the last pill, smiling, then snuggled up against her pillows and closed her eyes again. Paul took a deep breath. _She has no guilty conscience...she's not disturbed by what her actions have caused and she feels no remorse nor guilt..._  
  
Paul finished reading the book, and found that her daughter had fallen asleep. Paul closed the book and left it on her night stand. He stood up and stared down at his only child.  
  
"I won't let them take you away. You are my only daughter, and no one is going to take you away for other people to gawk at., and make a show of," Paul said, barely above a whisper. He kissed his daughter on the cheek, then clicked off the light and left the bedroom. He walked into his bathroom and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He stared and stared for so long he didn't recognize the person in the reflection. Slowly, as if by force, he opened the drawer and took out a small hand gun under the the towels. He stared back at his reflection.  
  
**_Anyone_** would have thought that the news of Pauls death had been caught up in the wind, it was spread so quickly and so many people attended his funeral.   
  
Layer after layer of long gray clouds streamed into the sky, and the heavy air and dull shadows seemed appropriate for a day like this.   
  
A perfect day for a funeral.  
  
Lila's small hand was wrapped around her mother's as they stared down at his coffin. Her mother had flown home immediatly. She was wearing a dark veil over her eyes, but anyone could tell that she had been crying for days. Lila looked into a small crowd of people across from her fathers grave and saw Rhonda. She looked pale and disturbed as she cluthed her mother and father's hand. Lila tried to get her attention, but Rhonda refused to meet her eyes and looked deathly afraid.   
  
After the ceromony, Lila saw Rhonda walk towards an abandoned shed on the other side of the feild that the funeral took place. Lila ran to catch up with her and when she entered the shed, she saw no one. She looked in from the door around the small space.  
  
Glancing up at the loft, she saw Rhonda's small profile leaning against the wall. Lila lowered her eyebrow, wondering what on earth she was doing here.  
  
"Rhonda?" Lila asked as she started climbing the rotted wooden ladder.  
  
"Lila, please so away. I can't speak with you anymore," Rhonda said with her head down, her voice cracking.   
  
"What? What happened?" Lila asked in confusion as she sat next to Rhonda.   
  
"Go away!" Rhonda glared at her. "I know you've killed him!" Rhonda pratically screamed, making Lila jump. Lila's eyes began to fill with fake tears.  
  
"I didn't either! My daddy shot himself! How _dare_ you say such a thing!?" Lila pouted. Rhonda's face grew pale as she looked back at Lila.   
  
"_Lila, I saw you light that servants's basement room on fire_!" Rhonda blurted and began crying in fear. "I just didn't say anything because I was _real scared_! I ran straight home!" Rhonda was sobbing loudly and hard. Lila's face grew pale as well.  
  
"Poor thing," she said just above a whisper. And with that, she gave Rhonda a hard shove with surprising strength. Rhonda tried to grab the railing, but it was too late. She was grabbing onto thin air. She fell to the bottom, and with her eyes pasted shut and her neck broken, Lila calmy walked down the ladders and joined her mother and Miss Vitello.  
  
**"I** just don't know how or why Paul would...." Evelyn stopped and began crying again, clutching her handkercheif. Miss Vitello put her hand on her shoulder, with Lila looking up at both of them. They began to walk towards the car.  
  
"There there, dear. Paul is in a better place right now, and you must be strong for Lila. You musn't despair either; for not everything is lost. Be lucky that your daughter was spared. _After all, you still have Lila to be thankful for_..."   
  
**_THE END!! I really want reviews for this last chapter, even if you have already given me one! What did you think about the fanfic and the story?? I decided to use the ending from the book, since this whole thing is based on the book and since she doesn't die, i could make a cheesy ass ending ,;; Thank you again to all those that have submitted reviews!!!!!_**


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